Yardbarker: Yonder Alonsohttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/players/yonder_alonso/89905
Recent articles about Yonder Alonsoen-usQ&A with Yonder AlonsoOn a recent morning, new Indians first baseman Yonder Alonso engaged in a wide-ranging Q&A with MLB.com.10 Mar 2018 19:39:36 -0500http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/q_a_with_yonder_alonso/s1_6062_25908638
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/q_a_with_yonder_alonso/s1_6062_25908638Q&A with Yonder Alonsohttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/q_a_with_yonder_alonso/s1_6062_25908638http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngAL Notes: Machado's offseason, Tribe's pitching, Cashner almost re-signed with Texas before O'sOrioles infielder Manny Machado “wants to be a Yankee and the feeling is mutual,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. The Yankees were among the teams that tried to trade for Machado over the winter, so it’s no surprise that they’re continuing to eye him a year before he hits free agency. Regarding offseason trade rumors, Machado said, “Thank God nothing went down and I was able to come back, and see my guys that I’ve been with for seven years.” Although the 25-year-old is content to be an Oriole for now, it seems highly unlikely he’ll remain with them past this year, considering the massive contract he’d land on the open market. And while the longtime third baseman plans to spend the rest of his career at shortstop, where New York has a quality starter in Didi Gregorius, the Yankees would find spots for both of them, Nightengale suggests.More from the American League…
The Indians announced Friday that right-hander Danny Salazar “experienced an onset of right shoulder rotator cuff inflammation” last month du17 Feb 2018 15:56:24 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/al_notes_machado_yanks_tribe_salazar_c_santana_rangers_cashner/s1_13237_25734815
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/al_notes_machado_yanks_tribe_salazar_c_santana_rangers_cashner/s1_13237_25734815AL Notes: Machado's offseason, Tribe's pitching, Cashner almost re-signed with Texas before O'shttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/al_notes_machado_yanks_tribe_salazar_c_santana_rangers_cashner/s1_13237_25734815http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/3/03f348264731e899c36f5a1cf20266276dc7e387/top_story/10310766.jpgYonder Alonso went undercover at Tribe Fest and fooled everyoneThe best undercover job since Matt the radar technician. If you didn’t already Yonder Alonso before, you probably should now.
The newest member of the Cleveland Indians went undercover at this year’s Tribe Fest and fooled absolutely everyone, including John Adams and even his teammates Cody Allen, Mike Clevinger, and Francisco Mejia. It looks like it even took Mejia a few seconds to register it after Alonso took off his hair and glasses. I love this man. 12 Feb 2018 18:41:45 -0500http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/yonder_alonso_went_undercover_at_tribe_fest_and_fooled_everyone/s1_13390_25691906
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/yonder_alonso_went_undercover_at_tribe_fest_and_fooled_everyone/s1_13390_25691906Yonder Alonso went undercover at Tribe Fest and fooled everyonehttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/yonder_alonso_went_undercover_at_tribe_fest_and_fooled_everyone/s1_13390_25691906http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngAL Notes: Orioles interested in McHugh; Cleveland's quiet offseasonThe Orioles have inquired about the availability of Astros right-hander Collin McHugh, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com hears. Although McHugh could be the odd man out of a loaded Houston rotation this year, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported earlier this week that the reigning champions aren’t in a rush to trade him. Nevertheless, with multiple holes in their rotation and a reported unwillingness to spend big to address their staff, it makes sense that the Orioles are interested in McHugh. After all, the 30-year-old has been a quality starter with the Astros since 2014 and is under arbitration control at affordable prices through 2019. He’ll earn in the neighborhood of $5M this season.Here’s more from the American League…
Indians outfielder Michael Brantley’s status for Opening Day is up in the air, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com suggests on Twitter. Brantley underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle in October, which came on the heels of a 90-game season for the 30-year-old. It was the second straig11 Feb 2018 09:47:30 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/al_notes_orioles_mchugh_indians_brantley_white_sox/s1_13237_25679627
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/al_notes_orioles_mchugh_indians_brantley_white_sox/s1_13237_25679627AL Notes: Orioles interested in McHugh; Cleveland's quiet offseasonhttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/al_notes_orioles_mchugh_indians_brantley_white_sox/s1_13237_25679627http://www.yardbarker.com/media/3/7/37ef14211252b33effe1d49197134ed3ebbda7f6/top_story/10172210.jpgSomeone should take a chance on Logan MorrisonMajor League Baseball is roughly a week and a half away from pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training, yet over 100 players remain without contracts. Even most of the premier players in this year’s free agent class haven’t found contracts to their liking, so it’s no surprise that plenty of mid- to lower-tier veterans also remain unsigned. Among them is first baseman Logan Morrison, who, despite enjoying a career year with the Rays in 2017, has only drawn scant interest this winter. While MLBTR projected a three-year, $36 millon payday for Morrison entering free agency, that may prove to be rather optimistic.Not only does free agents’ earning power tend to drop as the spring gets closer, but Morrison has seen several teams address first base needs as he has continued to sit on the market. Any of the Phillies (Carlos Santana), Mariners (Ryon Healy), Red Sox (Mitch Moreland), Indians (Yonder Alonso) or Mets (Adrian Gonzalez, Jay Bruce) could have conceivably picked up Morrison this winter, but each ha04 Feb 2018 10:32:45 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/someone_should_take_a_chance_on_logan_morrison/s1_13237_25618505
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/someone_should_take_a_chance_on_logan_morrison/s1_13237_25618505Someone should take a chance on Logan Morrisonhttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/someone_should_take_a_chance_on_logan_morrison/s1_13237_25618505http://www.yardbarker.com/media/8/4/843525469c8a8f12c5dee352188997578f7dd92c/top_story/10244634.jpgWhat to make of Yonder Alonso’s curious 2017Alonso’s season was a tale of two halves. But there’s more to be uncovered. One of the many famous adages about baseball is that it’s a game of adjustments. It’s also a game of inches. And runs, though not in the way basketball is. That one is more literal. Yes, more than anything, baseball is a game of adages. Let’s focus on that first one I mentioned, about the adjustments, and how it relates to new Cleveland Indians first baseman Yonder Alonso.
Long a dead average hitter, 2017 was Alonso’s breakout season as he hit for power at an elite rate with the 17th highest isolated slugging (.287) and 21st highest wRC+ (146) in baseball. He fell back to earth in the second half with a 113 wRC+. How should we look at this?
Logic would dictate pitchers caught on that Alonso was a different animal in 2017 and tried to mitigate damage, hunting for new weaknesses. That can take time to find, though, and Alonso did say he was having a bit of a timing issue at one point in the middle of the season, remarking to FanGraph03 Feb 2018 14:11:06 -0500http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/what_to_make_of_yonder_alonsos_curious_2017/s1_13390_25612514
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/what_to_make_of_yonder_alonsos_curious_2017/s1_13390_25612514What to make of Yonder Alonso’s curious 2017http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/what_to_make_of_yonder_alonsos_curious_2017/s1_13390_25612514http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngIndians believe Yonder Alonso’s adjustments are not a one-year wonderMorning News and Notes for Saturday, January 6, 2017 Yonder Alonso is looking to be this year’s biggest acquisition after a breakout career year. Can Alonso repeat his success. The Indians are betting that he can.
Indians News
Yonder Alonso aims to build off new approach - "It was a purposeful adjustment that Yonder made," said Chris Antonetti, the Indians' president of baseball operations. "It's also not a one-year trend."
Preparations continue for Indians-Twins series in Puerto Rico - Although the ballpark sustained damage when Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, MLB officials are confident that Hiram Bithorn Stadium will return to its normal functionality in advance of the series.
Indians prospect Eric Haase: Sleeper for 2018 - Minor League Ball - Cleveland catching prospect needs more attention
Left-hander Boone Logan, yet another free agent, says goodbye to Cleveland Indians | cleveland.com - Boone Logan has agreed to a one-year deal with the Brewers
Cleveland Ind06 Jan 2018 09:09:25 -0500http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/indians_believe_yonder_alonsos_adjustments_are_not_a_one_year_wonder/s1_13390_25388627
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/indians_believe_yonder_alonsos_adjustments_are_not_a_one_year_wonder/s1_13390_25388627Indians believe Yonder Alonso’s adjustments are not a one-year wonderhttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/indians_believe_yonder_alonsos_adjustments_are_not_a_one_year_wonder/s1_13390_25388627http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngIndians sign Yonder Alonso to two-year dealIndians out here making deals at 10:00 p.m. on a Wednesday because they hate me. While most people were getting ready to sleep before their big day tomorrow, the Cleveland Indians were busy signing an All-Star first baseman to a very reasonable contract. That first baseman is Yonder Alonso, that reasonable contract is a two-year, $16 million deal with an $8 million vesting option for the third year, and one of those people who wishes they were asleep right now is me.
Alonso, 30, is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the home run surge of a season ago — he hit 28 home runs with the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners last season after only hitting 39 total over his first seven seasons in the majors. In addition to an uptick in power, Alonso showed more patience at the plate than ever with a 13.1 walk rate, but he also struck out at a career-high 22.6 percent clip.
Defensively Alonso isn’t a great option at first base, and there are some legitimate concerns with his wide splits. Over his career, Alonso20 Dec 2017 23:14:33 -0500http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/indians_sign_yonder_alonso_to_two_year_deal/s1_13390_25280372
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/indians_sign_yonder_alonso_to_two_year_deal/s1_13390_25280372Indians sign Yonder Alonso to two-year dealhttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/indians_sign_yonder_alonso_to_two_year_deal/s1_13390_25280372http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngWhere Did Yonder Alonso’s Fly Balls Go?Yonder Alonso is now a Mariner, and for a player that just added a ton of fly balls to his repertoire (and the power that comes with it), hopefully that change of scenery will be a salve. Because Alonso has lost those fly balls momentarily. He thinks he knows why.
It’s been a big and worrisome drop in fly balls in July and August, especially given that his career fly ball rate is 34%. Alonso’s not worried. “Just a little bit of timing issue right now,” he said last week. “Pitches I was hitting right I’m just missing — Late, early, just missed the ball.” Before he trailed off, he added something interesting: “I’ve been hitting a lot more foul balls.”
Turns out, that’s a big part of the story about where the fly balls went. Take a look at his foul percentage next to his fly ball percentage, and July stands out.
Yonder Alonso’s Flies and Fouls by Month
Month
Fly Ball %
Foul%
April
49.0%
12.8%
May
57.1%
16.5%
June
46.9%
16.7%
July
32.8%
19.0%
August
33.3%
16.7%
If you gave him back those three to seve07 Aug 2017 14:50:06 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/where_did_yonder_alonsos_fly_balls_go/s1_8637_24496279
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/where_did_yonder_alonsos_fly_balls_go/s1_8637_24496279Where Did Yonder Alonso’s Fly Balls Go?http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/where_did_yonder_alonsos_fly_balls_go/s1_8637_24496279http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngYankees progressing on deal to acquire Sonny Gray, Yonder AlonsoThe New York Yankees might soon upgrade not only their pitching rotation, but their lineup as well.A report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on Tuesday indicated that the Yankees might be close to adding Oakland Athletics right hander Sonny Gray as well as first baseman Yonder Alonso.“Multiple sources indicated Tuesday that the Yankees were making progress toward a deal with Oakland, which could send not only Gray — who was slated to start for the A’s on Tuesday in Toronto — but also first baseman Yonder Alonso to New York.Gray has already made his start on Tuesday. So, the idea that he might get scratched and traded before the game is gone. Still, that doesn’t mean that a trade couldn’t happen before the July 31 deadline.Gray is someone that will help the Yankees not only this year, but also in the future.The Oakland right hander entered Tuesday’s start against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 3.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and a 8.4 K/9 ratio. He also has two more arbitration years before becoming a free agent in 2020.New Yo25 Jul 2017 19:42:40 -0400http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/yankees_progressing_on_deal_to_acquire_sonny_gray_yonder_alonso/s1_12680_24413017
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/yankees_progressing_on_deal_to_acquire_sonny_gray_yonder_alonso/s1_12680_24413017Yankees progressing on deal to acquire Sonny Gray, Yonder Alonsohttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/yankees_progressing_on_deal_to_acquire_sonny_gray_yonder_alonso/s1_12680_24413017http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/2/5264ea7f52f0c846fb7d9481799c14a2fd2f73ea/top_story/10166796.jpgAn Update on Yonder Alonso Prior to His Seemingly Inevitable TradeBack in March, Yonder Alonso explained to Eno Sarris that his focus during the offseason was to more frequently launch batted balls into the air.
“Did some mechanical things but also intent was important,” Alonso said in camp. “I’m trying to punish it more, get it in the air.” He agreed that aiming to put the ball in play in the air more was the major key for him this offseason as he worked.”
Alonso’s intended goal has worked out magnificently: he’s having a career season in a walk year.
As Dave mentioned back in May, Alonso has become the poster boy of the fly-ball revolution.
Dave was prescient when closing his post with this thought:
And by bringing Alonso back for one more go around, the A’s might now have one of the most interesting trade chips of the summer. Or perhaps they’ll try to re-sign him to a deal that keeps him from free agency this winter, pairing him with Khris Davis to form the most unlikely middle of the order threat in baseball.
The A’s do indeed have one of the more interesting trade ch25 Jul 2017 15:30:58 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/an_update_on_yonder_alonso_prior_to_his_seemingly_inevitable_trade/s1_8637_24411652
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/an_update_on_yonder_alonso_prior_to_his_seemingly_inevitable_trade/s1_8637_24411652An Update on Yonder Alonso Prior to His Seemingly Inevitable Tradehttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/an_update_on_yonder_alonso_prior_to_his_seemingly_inevitable_trade/s1_8637_24411652http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngReport: Yankees, A’s discussing Yonder Alonso tradeNow that first baseman Greg Bird is out for at least the next six weeks, the New York Yankees are surely in the market for a stopgap option at that position. Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics are in full-scale fire sale mode after moving both Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle over the weekend.So it would stand to reason that the two teams might discuss a potential deal that would send All-Star first baseman Yonder Alonso to the Bronx. That’s apparently now become a reality. Even as nothing more than a rental, Alonso would provide the Yankees a veteran bat at first base. He’s had a splendid season in Oakland, posting a .268 average and .366 on-base percentage to go with 21 homers and 44 RBI.It remains to be seen what Oakland might demand in a trade for the 30-year-old veteran, but the team has been scouting Yankees prospects over the past several days. Now that the two sides are in talks, it would not be a surprise to see New York end up acquiring Alonso.18 Jul 2017 13:44:09 -0400http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/report_yankees_a_8217s_discussing_yonder_alonso_trade/s1_12680_24374554
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/report_yankees_a_8217s_discussing_yonder_alonso_trade/s1_12680_24374554Report: Yankees, A’s discussing Yonder Alonso tradehttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/report_yankees_a_8217s_discussing_yonder_alonso_trade/s1_12680_24374554http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/3/239cf8a0db26636bd790bfede2554997d585f8d4/top_story/10133677.jpgReport: A’s make All-Star Yonder Alonso available on trade marketVeteran first baseman Yonder Alonso earned his first All-Star appearance this season with the Oakland Athletics. The 30-year-old entered the All-Star break with a .275 average, 20 homers and 43 RBI. He also boasts a splendid .372 on-base percentage.
Needless to say, the deal sending Alonso to Oakland prior to the 2016 season has worked out well for both sides.
And while Alonso would love to remain in Northern California, it appears that the A’s have made him available. ESPN’s Buster Olney was the first to report the news on Wednesday.
In one way, it’s interesting that Oakland would make Alonso available. He could very well act as a long-term and relatively cheap option over the long term. It would be a solid mix to go with Oakland’s young talent.
On the other hand, the A’s themselves are in full-scale rebuild mode. Heck, ace starter Sonny Gray is currently being shopped. Does a 30-year-old infielder in the midst of a career year fit into the long-term plans in Oakland? Also important to note, the A’s could po12 Jul 2017 19:14:32 -0400http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/report_a_8217s_make_all_star_yonder_alonso_available_on_trade_market/s1_12680_24344689
http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/report_a_8217s_make_all_star_yonder_alonso_available_on_trade_market/s1_12680_24344689Report: A’s make All-Star Yonder Alonso available on trade markethttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/report_a_8217s_make_all_star_yonder_alonso_available_on_trade_market/s1_12680_24344689http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngYonder Alonso Is the New Poster Boy for the Fly Ball RevolutionYesterday, Yonder Alonso hit a home run. Used to be, that would be notable because Yonder Alonso home runs didn’t happen very often. This year, that home run was notable because it was ninth of the year, matching his career high for home runs in a season. Alonso matched his career-best home run total on May 7th, in his 29th game of the 2017 season.
You can only do something like that if you haven’t hit many home runs previously, and there are few regular corner players who have hit fewer home runs and kept their jobs than Alonso. From 2012 through 2016, when Alonso racked up over 2,200 plate appearances, he managed to launch all of 34 home runs, one fewer than Andrelton Simmons hit during that same time period. James Loney hit seven more home runs than Alonso did during that stretch, and Loney was the probably the most Alonso-like first baseman in baseball; James Loney also just got released from his minor league contract over the weekend, if you’re curious about league-wide interest in low-power first basem08 May 2017 09:00:30 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/yonder_alonso_is_the_new_poster_boy_for_the_fly_ball_revolution/s1_8637_23906986
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/yonder_alonso_is_the_new_poster_boy_for_the_fly_ball_revolution/s1_8637_23906986Yonder Alonso Is the New Poster Boy for the Fly Ball Revolutionhttp://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/yonder_alonso_is_the_new_poster_boy_for_the_fly_ball_revolution/s1_8637_23906986http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png